This invention is concerned with the use of X-ray images of a patient during medical procedures such as surgery, catheterization and dye angiography during which a patient lying on a table is treated by a team typically of physicians, nurses and an anesthesiologist around the table who are guided by a display of X-ray images produced by an X-ray tube and receptor such as an image intensifier. X-ray apparatus has been developed as shown in United States Pat. Nos. 3,892,967 and 4,426,725, which can image any part of a patient from head to foot and at nearly any spherical angle. But space must be allowed for an X-ray tube and receptor set to move in and out of unlimited positions in a zone around the full length of the patient, and to rotate about the longitudinal, head to foot, axis of the patient and table. Moreover the medical team must have ready access to the patient not only from the longitudinal sides of the table, but also at the head and foot. The anesthesiologist and equipment are at the head of the patient table, the physicians and nurses are at both sides of the table and circulate around the foot of the table.
Various attempts have been made to provide a table which will accommodate the needs of access by the physicians and nurses concomitantly with the need to move the radiation axis between the X-ray tube and receptor set in the zone. Table tops have been translatively mounted on a base column to slide into the radiation axis, but the consequent movement of the patient results in serious problems for the anesthesiologist who must prevent many supporting tubes, hoses and monitoring lines from being tangled, kinked or pulled loose from the patient. If the table is supported on a fixed pedestal at the head of the patient it will either interfere with the anesthesiologist work or obstruct radiological examination of the head end of the patient. If the pedestal is at the foot or middle of the table it will prevent the necessary movement of the X-ray tube and receptor set in the zone. If the table pedestal is at either of the longitudinal sides of the table radiology is more seriously obstructed and also interferes with the needed full and comfortable access by the attending medical team.
The prior side or end support of the patient table is unsatisfactory not only for the above reasons but also because it does not allow for lifting and rotation of the table top, particularly Trendelenburg tilting of a patient in trauma about an axis transverse of the longitudinal patient and table axis at the middle of the table.
Accordingly it is one object of the present invention to support a patient table top in a way which will not interfere with access of the medical team to, and circulation around, the patient and which allows unobstructed access below the patient at the head of the table in addition to allowing entrance of the X-ray source and receptor set to diametrically opposed sides of the table top.
Further objects are to provide the table top with movements including Trendelenburg tilting without sacrificing full access of the medical team and X-ray apparatus to the patient.